


the first quiet step into eternity

by toushindai (WallofIllusion)



Category: Baccano!
Genre: (because Elmer), (because Huey), Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Suicide mention, no plot just conversation, with the obligatory side of HueMoni pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 14:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10336589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WallofIllusion/pseuds/toushindai
Summary: Huey and Elmer talk after drinking the liquor of immortality.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for the end of 1711.

“Well? Did it heal you?”

Huey spoke quietly enough that no one but Elmer would hear him. Elmer looked away from the rest of the celebrating crowd and turned his gaze towards his friend, who rubbed his own forearm. It was an imitation of what Elmer had done just after swallowing his portion of the elixir. Elmer gave a grin.

“You noticed.”

“I’m curious, too,” Huey told him.

Elmer took another quick glance around the room to make sure no one else was watching and then rolled up his sleeve. “Same as always,” he said, and Huey made himself look at the mess of scars that adorned his friend’s forearm. For a moment he tasted horror and rage, but he dissolved them before they could make it to his face. He replaced the thoughts that led to them with simple observation: _it’s not as much as on his back._

“I see,” he remarked. “So the elixir must accept the state of the body at the time of consumption as its default.”

“Looks that way. Oh, before I cover up again, I wanted to show you this!” He indicated a narrow, linear scar on the underside of his arm. “I got this from Monica, back in 1705. She stabbed me because she was afraid I’d find my way to you, hahaha.”

“ _Rightfully_ afraid,” Huey muttered.

“Yeah, I’d already figured you out by then,” Elmer said with a smirk. “Wanna touch it?”

Huey’s fingers trembled, and the smile on his face—it had been a real one, for just a moment—fell away as a lump formed in his throat. He swallowed, with difficulty, and then the meaningless smile was back on his face.

“No, thank you,” he said politely. “It’s enough to know it exists.”

Elmer can’t have missed the emotion that had shown on his face, but he didn’t call attention to it. “All right,” he said, rolling his sleeve back down. “Well, I guess it’s going to exist forever now, so that’s good!”

“Yes.”

For a moment, they sat together in silence. Huey expected that at any moment Elmer would throw himself into the center of the elated crowd, but he seemed content to sit here for now. In fact, he leaned towards Huey and spoke once more.

“Did you drink?”

With a silent, empty smile, Huey averted his eyes.

“’Cause I saw you hide some of it away, and I can guess who _that’s_ going to. But I wasn’t watching to see if you took a sip first.”

“Do you think I drank?” Huey asked him.

Elmer huffed, mock-annoyed. “Man, you’ve gotten so _squirrelly_ in the past year. I just said, I couldn’t tell.”

Huey touched the pocket where he’d hidden away the portion of elixir he owed to the House Dormentaire before turning his gaze back to his friend and answering. “Yes, I drank.”

“So you don’t think you can find Monica in the afterlife?”

Huey’s gaze shifted to the dancing flame of a nearby candle, and he didn’t answer.

Elmer tilted his head. “Am I asking too many questions?”

“You _always_ ask too many questions,” Huey pointed out.

“I could stop.”

“I don’t want you to,” Huey said. And then, to balance out the honesty of the statement, “Anyway, you’d only come back to the subject later because you know this is the only thing I’ll show real emotion about. Right?”

Elmer’s grin went crooked for a moment and he shrugged. “Yeah, you got me.” He wasn’t remotely apologetic.

Huey folded his hands over his knee and returned his gaze to the candle’s flame.

“If I could have known for certain that she’s waiting for me somewhere, I would have killed myself in a heartbeat. I’d smile and I’d let you watch me do it. But there are an incredible number of beliefs in this world about what happens after death. Heaven and hell, reincarnation, reverting to nothingness… there’s no consensus that can’t be attributed to coincidence and wishful thinking. I told you, didn’t I? One year is nowhere near long enough to understand the world. I need more time.”

“Ahh, I see.” Elmer leaned back, his hands folded behind his head. “You’re looking for other ways to find her, then?”

“Yes. Though I haven’t ruled out the possibility of an afterlife. I simply need more information before I can make such a permanent decision.”

“That makes sense!”

Elmer remained unfailingly chipper, but Huey noticed that he was keeping his voice down to maintain their privacy. _Gratitude_ , he noted the emotion as it came and then smoothed it away like the rest.

Finally, he stood. “I’m going back to the cabin.”

“Want me to come along?”

“No, by all means, stay here and get your fix from their joy.”

He wanted to say it with a sarcastic smile. He quieted the urge. He could not afford to indulge pointless moments of emotion like that, not if he wanted his guard to be perfect.

Elmer’s answering grin was cheeky where Huey's was empty. “I’d rather see _your_ smile,” he said.

“You’re going to have to wait a long time for that.”

“That’s okay,” Elmer assured him. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”


End file.
